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Best way to lift fuse?

Doug Rohrer

Well Known Member
I am ready to mount the landing gear onto my RV-9A . Right now the rear of the fuse is supported by an engine stand rotisserie and the front is resting on a short saw horse (saw pony?) under the center spar. The engine is installed but the wings are off. I am planning to just use an engine hoist on the Lycoming lifting loop to lift the whole front of the plane up enough to install the main and nose gear. Should I be concerned about the strength of the lifting loop or 1/4" bolt holding it on? I would like to hear from others who have done this.
 
Is the tail tied down right now? Sounds to me like the entire assembly might be nose heavy if it the forward support is under the spar.

That said, I'd wrap nylon straps under the engine mount at positions near clusters and lift with that. Lifting a 250 pound engine with the lifting lug is one thing, but lifting the engine plus a couple hundred pounds of fuselage? I don't like it.
 
Efore

This was discussed a fewweeks ago. The consenses Was not to use the engine hook but rather a strap on engine mount.
I plan to do the entire build without it on the gear so I am glad to hear others doing this.
 
I will look at putting a strap under the engine mount, but it my be hard/not possible with the exhaust and fuel system already installed. FWIW, the load capacity of a single grade 5 bolt in double shear is around 7000 lbs. I don't think my plane weighs that much!
 
Use the top of the dynafocal ring as the lift point. Works well with the engine hoist and is very secure. I used multiple wraps of a nylon webbing strap.
 
Best way to lift fuselage

I will look at putting a strap under the engine mount, but it my be hard/not possible with the exhaust and fuel system already installed. FWIW, the load capacity of a single grade 5 bolt in double shear is around 7000 lbs. I don't think my plane weighs that much!

I don't think it is the engine lifting ring (loop?) or the bolt in double shear, but the hole in the crankcase where the lifting ring is attached that is likely the limiting factor. Other threads have discussed this and the consensus is the engine lifting ring is for lifting the engine only, not the engine and the fuselage.
 
I don't think it is the engine lifting ring (loop?) or the bolt in double shear, but the hole in the crankcase where the lifting ring is attached that is likely the limiting factor. Other threads have discussed this and the consensus is the engine lifting ring is for lifting the engine only, not the engine and the fuselage.

Exactly. The engineers who designed the case and the engine lifting ring designed in a safety factor based on the weight of the engine. There's no telling how large the safety factor was and how much of the margin you'd use up trying to lift the fuselage with that case bolt.
 
I am ready to mount the landing gear onto my RV-9A . Right now the rear of the fuse is supported by an engine stand rotisserie and the front is resting on a short saw horse (saw pony?) under the center spar. The engine is installed but the wings are off. I am planning to just use an engine hoist on the Lycoming lifting loop to lift the whole front of the plane up enough to install the main and nose gear. Should I be concerned about the strength of the lifting loop or 1/4" bolt holding it on? I would like to hear from others who have done this.

You will be sad if the weight of your aircraft pulls a chunk of crankcase out of the top of your engine......

As stated, the engine mount is an excellent choice for lifting the fuse.
 
Conclusion

After reading some posts found with the search function, I will use the short horizontal section at the top of the engine mounting bracket as my lift point. Seems to be the safest way. Thanks to all who responded.
 
After reading some posts found with the search function, I will use the short horizontal section at the top of the engine mounting bracket as my lift point. Seems to be the safest way. Thanks to all who responded.

If you grab near the middle of that horizontal tube, bad things might happen. Use 2 straps. Wrap one around or through each of the weld clusters at the ends of that horizontal tube.
 
Got 'em In...

I thought I would close out this thread by reporting how it went. I ended up using a "belt and suspenders" system of a strap around the engine mount bar and a short chain to the engine lift loop. The lifting load was shared between the two. Lifting was easy and uneventful. Plugging the gear legs into the sockets was a two person job, but I had test fitted the gear into the mounts in a vice before bolting them in. You have to get all the flash and paint out of the socket and lube the gear. You also need to stick a rod into the end of the axle so you can twist the gear while shoving it in, and don't forget to ream the gear and socket bolt hole with a .311" reamer to make sure you can get the bolt through. I hope my experience can help others who follow.
 
Sooooo...you went ahead and used the engine lifting lug (albeit not solely) anyway? Even after all the advice NOT to use it?

I admire the gumption, but I'd not tempt the fates too often :)
 
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